Your Weather, 2021

[Dirtmechanic]

Living in the edge of hardwoods makes our bird feeders a magnetic stop for any passing gray squirrels. It has been in the teens so they are nested but soon they will be out again. I thin them every 3 or four years, unless an explorer finds my attic or decides to chew my gutters or something. You know they can get obsessed right? Very peculiar, but I have seen them get absolutely fixated on chewing just one thing. Psycho squirrel brains.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One time I had a squirrel chew the flashing off of a roof vent. During a Louisiana rain we had water dripping through the den ceiling. So I went into the attic and arranged for the water to go into a bucket. Water was also splashing under a door on the back porch. The flashing had rolled down into a gutter and was backing water up so it was splashing where it could go under the back door. So in a thunderstorm I got out a wooden ladder and quickly removed that blockage. Way too much fun and excitement.

There were so many squirrels in the area that I could usually see five playing in the back yard any time I looked out during the day. Any time of the day. I tried to grow a small garden. If I disturbed the soil to plant anything, seeds or transplants, they'd dig it out.

I got a couple of smaller squirrel sized traps and removed over 50 squirrels from my back yard in about a month. I'm sure it was illegal but I took them about 10 miles to a "wilderness" area to release them. The squirrel pressure was so great in the area that as soon as I removed one another would come in from the neighborhood. After about 50 though the numbers were noticeably less.

One funny thing, I got my neighbor hooked on trapping squirrels. By his count, he removed over 100 from his back yard, next to mine. But he only took them to a nearby park. probably less than a mile. I imagine those squirrels were back home before he was. He was retired and really enjoyed it so I didn't say anything except, wow, that's a lot of squirrels.

The husband of a teacher my wife worked with also trapped squirrels. He would take them across to a friends place in the country on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and release them. Then in the fall they'd go squirrel hunting.

One time my wife head a transformer blow when she was outside. A squirrel had shorted it out. She saw the squirrel fall. The power company had that fixed pretty quickly.

I have good memories of squirrel hunting when growing up on the farm in the country. I do not have good memories of squirrels in suburbia, especially when the numbers get ridiculous.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

One time I had a squirrel chew the flashing off of a roof vent. During a Louisiana rain we had water dripping through the den ceiling. So I went into the attic and arranged for the water to go into a bucket. Water was also splashing under a door on the back porch. The flashing had rolled down into a gutter and was backing water up so it was splashing where it could go under the back door. So in a thunderstorm I got out a wooden ladder and quickly removed that blockage. Way too much fun and excitement.

There were so many squirrels in the area that I could usually see five playing in the back yard any time I looked out during the day. Any time of the day. I tried to grow a small garden. If I disturbed the soil to plant anything, seeds or transplants, they'd dig it out.

I got a couple of smaller squirrel sized traps and removed over 50 squirrels from my back yard in about a month. I'm sure it was illegal but I took them about 10 miles to a "wilderness" area to release them. The squirrel pressure was so great in the area that as soon as I removed one another would come in from the neighborhood. After about 50 though the numbers were noticeably less.

One funny thing, I got my neighbor hooked on trapping squirrels. By his count, he removed over 100 from his back yard, next to mine. But he only took them to a nearby park. probably less than a mile. I imagine those squirrels were back home before he was. He was retired and really enjoyed it so I didn't say anything except, wow, that's a lot of squirrels.

The husband of a teacher my wife worked with also trapped squirrels. He would take them across to a friends place in the country on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and release them. Then in the fall they'd go squirrel hunting.

One time my wife head a transformer blow when she was outside. A squirrel had shorted it out. She saw the squirrel fall. The power company had that fixed pretty quickly.

I have good memories of squirrel hunting when growing up on the farm in the country. I do not have good memories of squirrels in suburbia, especially when the numbers get ridiculous.

The biology deptardment states that with so many, trap and displace is a problem and recommends euthanasia. I find this involves pajamas, coffee, an open door or window and a pillow. And my pellet rifle of course. But really once thinned it takes at least 2 summers before they start getting desparate for territory so about every 3 or 4 years, sometimes they get a squirreldemic also.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

We had one at my grandparents that decided it liked to crack acorns on the gutter every morning. That was a horrendous noise.

 

[baymule]

Checking in. 18F this morning and got 3” of snow last night, total of 10” now. Have fed 50 pounds of birdseed in 5 days, poor birds are so hungry. We still have power and water, we are Blessed.

I have to carry buckets of boiling water to animals to melt ice so they can drink. Takes 3-4 hours every morning. This ain’t no fun! Pots are boiling now, need to layer up in every warm article of clothing I have and get started. Will check in tonight.

I’m real tired of this crap.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Checking in. 18F this morning and got 3” of snow last night, total of 10” now. Have fed 50 pounds of birdseed in 5 days, poor birds are so hungry. We still have power and water, we are Blessed.

I have to carry buckets of boiling water to animals to melt ice so they can drink. Takes 3-4 hours every morning. This ain’t no fun! Pots are boiling now, need to layer up in every warm article of clothing I have and get started. Will check in tonight.

I’m real tired of this crap.

At only .45 amp draw, a 50 watt birdbath heater can be run off a 12v battery possibly several days when hooked to a cheap inverter. Of course hauling the battery to charge it means you have only changed the time of day you are hauling something. I have a general use battery that states 190 reserve minutes, which is usually @25 amps, so 3 hours at 25 amp draw. So a lightbulb type draw like 50 watts could go a couple days maybe. Its not good to draw a battery all the way down but a solar panel charger could help that.

 

[digitS']

Ha! I'm writing this about Mr and Ms Squirrel having problems while @baymule is struggling under heavy loads and @Dirtmechanic is making useful suggestions! Oh well, will click Post

The squirrels in this neighborhood have a problem, besides the departure of the two neighbors who fed the House Sparrows, et al.

The two very large walnut trees across the road are going. A new neighbor re-did his front lawn last year. I think he may have killed the trees with herbicide!. He had some major pruning on one but there are limbs that died on both trees. I'd be surprised if the pruned tree comes back. Not much of a loss - I would really dislike having large walnut trees in a small yard. Besides, the trees that I know of do NOT grow well enough here for good nuts. It just must be the wrong environment.

The squirrels, however ... the nuts are okay for them. The only oak trees that I know of are about a half mile away. I don't know what else that they can store and eat.

There are also the neighborhood cats and the Sharp-shinned hawks. I can't imagine the fight that little hawk would have if he caught a squirrel but I've seen them try . And, the squirrels are afraid of the hawks.

Steve
cannot imagine 50 squirrels coming out of my backyard! if 3 were "disappeared", that would be about the entire population on this side of the road.

 

[Alasgun]

Been quietly watching all this “from a distance” and have confirmed tale’s of woe from the 3 sisters. Sister in law #1in New Orleans, #2 in Odessa and #3 in Houston; and each time refrained from using my “gee sis, sorry you live in such a hostile environment” line on them.
it’s 20 here this morning and another inch of snow yesterday giving us a little over a ft. for the year so far. However im holding my breath because from now till mid April we can easily triple that amount.

I have nothing but empathy for you folk’s struggling during this time, it’s not easy to deal with harsh winter even for folks who have it regularly and plan / prepare for it. In your case there’s not much to “prepare for” when your normal’s never include this sort of thing.

Looking at some of @baymule’s pictures over on the BYH site i do get envious when i see all the tubing / drill pipe used for uprights in the shed! I sure miss the never ending supply of tubular good’s we use to have access to. We’d use it for cattle guards, gates, corrals etc.

This will all pass, your Animals are surely aware of how unnatural this is and im sure, appreciate your efforts on they’re behalf!

 

[baymule]

@Alasgun as you know, we get snow maybe every two or three years. It snows, everything shuts down because we are idiots and have no idea how to drive on ice and snow. By day 2, it is starting to melt, by day 3, it’s hard to find any snow at all.

BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!!

I traded for that drill stem pipe. Makes good barn supports. Our horse barn is on old power poles, got 24 of them for $80 one time. Never built a barn with them at old place, so moved them up here, have nice 36’x36’ horse barn now. LOL

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Sleet rain mix falling right now 39F temp.